The Air Force Abruptly Ends Its Continuous Bomber Presence On Guam After 16 Years

[soryang]

The Air Force Abruptly Ends Its Continuous Bomber Presence On Guam After 16 Years
In a dramatic and unannounced shift in policy and regional posture, the Air Force has ended its uninterrupted rotation of bombers to the island.
BY JOSEPH TREVITHICKAPRIL 17, 2020
thedrive.com/ the war zone

The U.S. Air Force has ended its uninterrupted rotations of bombers to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, which have been ongoing since 2004, as it shifts to a less predictable concept of operations. Five B-52H Stratofortresses left yesterday with no replacement aircraft in place, bringing an end to what the service had called the Continuous Bomber Presence Mission. This notably came just days after the bombers took part in a massive "elephant walk" readiness drill that also involved six KC-135R aerial refueling tankers, an RQ-4B Global Hawk drone, as well as a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone, and an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, which was seen as a significant statement of American resolve aimed China.

more:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33057/the-continuous-strategic-bomber-presence-mission-to-guam-has-abruptly-ended-after-16-years

This looks like an example of an alternative mission approach described in the article:

Link to tweet

[Worried2020]

1. Well, I do not think those bombers are just coming home to park . . . .

and I wonder which part of the globe the US is gonna send them to?

The USA's War Machine is a restless beast . . .

(sigh)

W

[ret5hd]

2. My guess: USS Theodore Roosevelt Covid patients..

The patients there are spreading so rapidly that a decision was made to move the bomber fleet elsewhere.

No evidence, just my spur of the moment hypothesis.

[hedda_foil]

3. My guess too. Hundreds of crew who tested positive but weren't hospitalized are there.